A question for those that donate blood.

[similar.squirrel]

There's a blood collect-a-thon in town tomorrow, and I've been promising myself to give some of the precious red stuff since I heard about it..... There's just one thing holding me back: I've got two days of pretty strenous work coming up on Friday and Saturday, followed by a day of intense consumption of alcohol and perhaps other substances.

if you've had a piercing or a tattoo in the last 12 months you can't give blood
(or if you've ever injected drugs you can't ever give blood, not my rules just letting you know)

I'm getting a new tattoo next week so this friday I'll give blood (I have a rare blood type so always give a bit before new artwork!)

I think it's 6 months here. In any case, the last tattoo I got was on the 14th of July last year, which gives me more than a weeks' breathing space.
I've never injected anything, nor will I ever do so unless I somehow acquire diabetes.

Eat, drink fluids and rest.

After the first day if you want beer make sure its only one and that its Guinness or another Porter-style ale (lots of iron and protien in it and is prescribed by the UK NHS for patients with Eneamia)

Excellent. I'll be replacing one pint with another, for sure.

 

[Jedoro]

Should be fine, just get some more sugar into your blood stream soon after and eat a bit more than usual those few days. Be sure to especially stay hydrated.

 

[soulasylum85]

ive given blood at 3pm and started drinking heavily and smoking pot at 5pm and was fine. the buzz comes on a little faster but nothing to worry about.

 

[similar.squirrel]

They only took 20 mil. for testing purposes, on account of the fact that I'm not an Irish citizen. The needle part freaked me out slightly, so I spent the five minutes or so staring at the cubicle wall with my palms sweating profusely. I can donate in 90 days,
Oddly enough, I can't wait. Also, seeing the amount of people who turned up really made me feel good about society in general. Folks are good, at heart.